Exhibit on ‘Healthcare heritage of Madras’ conducted 

On account of Madras Day, Public Health India in collaboration with Dakshina Chitra Museum, organised an exhibit on Friday, showcasing 90 images of the city’s oldest healthcare institutions and the women pioneers who contributed to the field.

Anitha Pottamkulam, Director (Culture), Dakshina Chitra, said that the COVID-19 pandemic made people realise the importance of healthcare, in terms of accessibility, affordability and the history of tertiary care in the city. “We want this exhibition to grow and move to other places too,” added Ms Pottamkulam.

“Chennai is often referred to as the health capital of India. Nearly half of India’s medical tourism flow into Chennai. Through this photo exhibition, we want anyone who walks into the gallery to learn about the different medical institutions and women pioneers who shaped the city’s healthcare legacy,” said Solomon Thirumurugan from Public Health India and curator of the exhibition.

Among the institutions exhibited were the Regional Institute of Ophthalmology in Egmore- Asia’s oldest eye hospital, Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology – the first allopathic maternity hospital in India, along with many other historic medical institutions of Chennai and the former Madras Presidency . Much of the curation was sourced from a chapter written by N. Subbulakshmy in ‘Madras Chennai: A 400 Year Record of the First City of Modern India’, edited by S. Muthiah.

Mr. Thirumurugan further added that the exhibit is mainly a tribute to women in healthcare who broke barriers in the profession. Around 20 portraits of prominent women in healthcare were displayed – from Krupabai Satthianadhan, the first Indian woman to enter the Madras Medical College to present-day healthcare workers in neurosurgery, maternal and child health, as well as mental health. The exhibition is open for public viewing until August 29.